Sarah Grace, a local businesswoman, and Eddie Smith, an Ohio University graduate student, attended the League of Women Voters candidate forum to explain their platforms to Athens residents.
With less than a month before Ohio's primary election, only one race for public office is contested in Athens County — the 94th District for the Ohio Statehouse.
The two Democratic candidates, Sarah Grace and Eddie Smith, will face off on March 15 to see who will run against their Republican opponent Jay Edwards in November.
The League of Women Voters of Athens County hosted a candidate forum Tuesday night at Athens Public Library with only standing room available at the start of the event.
Both candidates gave opening statements reflective of the focus in their respective campaigns.
Grace, a local businesswoman and mother of four children, said she originally came to Athens to attend Ohio University.
"I decided to stay because it was so beautiful — the hills, the campus," Grace said.
After moving away for a short period of time, Grace said she and her family moved back as soon as they were able.
"I've heard that Athens gets into your blood or becomes a part of your soul, and for us that was definitely true," Grace said. "We came back because this is where we wanted to raise our family."
After having lived here for nearly 19 years, Grace said she is now running for the Ohio Statehouse's 94th District because she is committed to the future of the district.
Smith, a graduate student and president of Graduate Student Senate at OU, said he was a proud Democrat running a progressive campaign. His youth was instrumental in his decision to pursue sociology both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, he said.
"Growing up, we didn't have very much. We lived in low income public housing most of my life," Smith said.
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He added that his decision to pursue sociology has also prepared him to hold office at the Ohio Statehouse.
"I was interested in studying what the barriers are to upward mobility in society and in studying why hardworking families just can't seem to get ahead," Smith said. "At the master's level, you really start to get exposure and you can learn what specific programs and services need to be funded to help families get over those barriers."
Smith is pursuing a master's in public administration and said he will graduate in May with $83,000 in debt. For this reason, he said education, both for the younger children and the older adults in the 94th District, will be his top priority.
Grace chose education as well as her top priority.
"We have to fund our schools. If our schools are not sufficiently funded, our children never stand a chance," Grace said.
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